This blog follows the activities of a first year experience class at Loyola University New Orleans as it explores the immigrant legacy of the Crescent City. Over the course of the Spring 2010 semester, students will produce short documentaries that engage our theme.

Here are the first four proposals. I only get so much upload space on Vimeo a week, so I downprocessed the video to 760NTSC. It makes you a little taller than normal, but took a 720p HD video from 800MB plus to about 250MB

The password is what I mentioned in class as being my dog's favorite treat. If you can't remember it, think breakfast. If you still can't remember it, email me.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

You can get there downtown, and their collections and staff are excellent. The best part is that it doesn't cost you a thing!

I'm talking about the Louisiana Division and City Archives at the New Orleans Public Library. Be sure to take some time looking at the website. You can search the special collections including a great selection of historical photographs of subjects in and around New Orleans.

Plus you can always go down there and ask one of the helpful staff members by saying, "I'm doing a project on that and I want to accomplish this... where should I look?"

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

This is a reminder that your topic proposals are due next Monday, February 1st. Just because you submit a proposal, it does not mean that you will end up doing exactly what is on your proposal. It may get modified a bit by me, but most likely it will be modified by you. At some level, doing creative research takes you in unanticipated directions. Seldom does the finished project match the proposal. Consider this to be a formal declaration of your starting point.

Be that as it may, here is what I expect you to turn in on Monday:

A one-page topic proposal (typed) that includes the following information:

1.) Names of the team members

2.) a "working title" of your project - this will change over time

3.) a paragraph or two explaining a) the subject matter of your documentary b) why this is an exploration of the immigrant experience in New Orleans c) some preliminary ideas as to how you plan to find information about the topic.

I'll be expecting these at the start of class to be considered "on time." If you are not in class for some reason, I'll expect you to get this to me BEFORE Monday. Absences do not extend your deadline.

Monday, January 18, 2010

The Center for the Study of New Orleans at Loyola will present "New Orleans in the '60s" on this coming Wednesday night, January 20. It takes place at 7:00 PM at Nunemaker Hall. More information is available here.

I will offer two grade points (2%) extra credit to any student in my 193 First Year Experience class who attends.

I went down to New Orleans East very early on Saturday morning to take in the farmer's market that takes place there. It is organized by the Mary Queen of Vietnam Catholic Church.

Fewer vendors showed up because of the rain, and I think the cold weather of the last two weeks must have ruined some of the more recently-harvested vegetables, because the market had primarily seafood for sale. Check out the video below: